Turkish economy benefits from growing tourist sector

Thursday May 1st , 2008

Turkey's tourism industry is proving to be highly lucrative for the country's economy, according to new figures.

Official figures cited by the Turkish Press revealed that during the first three months of 2008, the sector generated about £1.4 billion.

This is 28.5 per cent higher than the figure recorded in the first quarter of 2007, during which it produced just over £1 billion.

The figures will be positive news for tourism officials in Turkey, as they indicate that efforts to boost the sector are paying off.

Furthermore, they also suggest that owners of rental accommodation in popular tourist hotspots are seeing lots of demand for their services.

Last year, more than 23 million people chose to take a holiday in Turkey.

Tourism officials in the country recently announced that they want annual visitor numbers to reach 50 million by 2023.